Jewish Dems: Rubio Presidency Would Damage U.S.-Israel Relationship

April 13, 2015

Washington, D.C. – With Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announcing today that he will seek the Republican Party’s nomination for the President of the United States, the National Jewish Democratic Council expressed concern over his tired political platform and his willingness to jeopardize the U.S.-Israel relationship for his own political gain. The group released the following statement:

“Sen. Rubio believes that he is ‘uniquely qualified’ to represent the Republican Party and protect the American Dream. However, his recent actions have demonstrated that instead of moving America forward, Sen. Rubio plans to run on the same tired Republican platform. While Sen. Rubio is also trying to frame himself as a serious foreign policy candidate, he continues to undermine the United States’ relationship with Israel as a fundraising tactic for his campaign.

“Sen. Rubio has discussed adding an amendment to Sen. Bob Corker’s (R-TN) bill requiring congressional approval of a nuclear deal with Tehran, which would demand Iranian recognition of Israel’s right to exist. This amendment, which the New York Jewish Week called a ‘blatantly transparent ploy,’ has no purpose other than to politicize the U.S.-Israel relationship at a time when the Jewish state needs our steadfast support. It is shameful that Sen. Rubio would further polarize this issue to advance his own political goals.

“Sen. Rubio has also demonstrated that he cares more about playing party politics than he does about his own constituents. During his time in the Senate, he voted to shut down the government rather than expand access to affordable healthcare. He abandoned his own efforts at immigration reform at the first hint of opposition from the Tea Party. Furthermore, he has continuously opposed legislation benefiting students, women, and retired Americans, stating that these bills were ‘wasting time.’ If Sen. Rubio truly finds himself to be ‘uniquely qualified’ to lead this country, we recommend he slow down and take a long drink of water, because he is clearly out of touch with American values.”